Another Outfielder Knocking on the Twins Door

I was a big Contreras backer and liked him better than Cave.  Once that power came on you could see he had a chance to make it especially because he plays good defense as well.  He looks like a solid candidate for 4th outfielder.  I'm just not sure it will be with the Twins.

With Kepler, Larnach, Kirilloff, and Wallner on the way all being left handed some things would need to change for Mark to make it IMO.  Celestino seems like the better fit as the forth guy or as a replacement in right field.  Still if he can bump that OPS into the 900 or at least high 800's with all the other skills he brings the Twins might want him as a guy that can play all three outfield spots but he is going to need to prove he can hit and he is no spring chicken anymore.

I will still be rooting for him to make it and was surprised how well he did last year.  If he remains consistent he can play big league ball for somebody else if not the Twins.

I don't think I would characterize a .335 OBP as "strong", seeing as how the league average for AAA East was .332.  For a guy playing in the same position group as Buxton, Kepler, Celestino, Larnach, Kiriloff, and potentially Lewis and Martin, I'm not super convinced he ever gets more than some bench duty when someone else is hurt.

How old is he?  Drafted out of college in 2017?

Contreras is reportedly a very good defender in the corner OF - I’d give him a shot over the likes of Cave if we have OF injuries. He’s worth a shot.

3 hours ago, ashbury said:

 

I can accept that college instruction isn't quite on a par with the pros in the minor leagues.  But Contreras is a example where it's almost like they had to throw out everything he had learned up to the point he was drafted, and he starts from scratch at age 22 and then it still takes him years to reach AAA.  My question over beers to our FO is, why?

That almost sounds like real life where, no matter what you learned in college and what degree was bestowed on you, the company with which you begin your career tells you to forget college because "this is how we do it."

College is not the same as A, A is not the same as AA, AA is not the same as AAA and  AAA is not the same as the Major League.

They have forgotten more about how this works than any one hear who has not at least made to Minor League will ever know.

9 hours ago, RpR said:

College is not the same as A, A is not the same as AA, AA is not the same as AAA and  AAA is not the same as the Major League.

They have forgotten more about how this works than any one hear who has not at least made to Minor League will ever know.

See ball, hit ball. See ball, catch ball. See glove, throw ball. Pretty much the same from high school through major league. Baseball diamonds are similar, basic rules are similar. You could take a 13 year-old kid playing street ball and throw him into a game at any level and he'll know what to do. The basic aspects of the game aren't rocket science, it's the talent level (inherited) and the mental ability and willingness to learn and adjust that separates the different levels of play.

13 hours ago, ashbury said:

Yeah, if I had a chance to chat over beers with our FO, that would lead into a question I'd want to ask them.  They draft college players, players who (as in Contreras's record) seemed to be making normal progress year over year while in school, like you would expect of young men starting to complete their maturation in their late teens and early 20s.  Then it takes that player essentially as long as a high-schooler to work their way up the Twins' ladder.  Brent Rooker is exhibit B, Sabato's looking like another "big" bat that will take its sweet time to develop.  Seems like other teams draft college guys who pay dividends in just a season or two. 

 

Yeah I notice that too - specifically pitchers. It does seem very strange for the Twins to draft a DH-type in Sabato, out of college, and then let him marinate for 5 years in the minor leagues. Especially with their FIRST ROUND pick! Pick college guys all you want, but if they're not ready for prime time, wait until the later rounds.

That said, this Mark Contreras guy seems like a fantastic athlete, good dude and it looks like he has the tools to make the majors. Nothing wrong with having guys like that in the system, it means we can trade maybe bigger names like Larnach, et al, for pitching and still have Contreras ready to contribute. Great interview and here's looking forward to seeing Contreras in St. Paul and maybe in MSP this season.

14 hours ago, Linus said:

How old is he?  Drafted out of college in 2017?

He's 27.

Other than a 7 game stretch in low-A where he was definitely older that his competition, he's never had a SLG% over .500 in his pro career. Last season in AAA was easily his best year as a pro and it's not really all that close. He might be a useful minor league depth option, but he's going to struggle to find a spot on the 40-man without serious injury to other guys who are up the depth chart from him, which limits his ability to get a shot in MLB. 

Larnach is younger with a stronger overall track record; it would take a lot of recency bias to put Contreras over him on any depth chart. Hard to see him coming up this year without Kepler/Kirilloff landing on the 60-day IL and Larnach struggling in AAA.

3 hours ago, Dave The Dastardly said:

See ball, hit ball. See ball, catch ball. See glove, throw ball. Pretty much the same from high school through major league. Baseball diamonds are similar, basic rules are similar. You could take a 13 year-old kid playing street ball and throw him into a game at any level and he'll know what to do. The basic aspects of the game aren't rocket science, it's the talent level (inherited) and the mental ability and willingness to learn and adjust that separates the different levels of play.

Wow, the Minors are a total waste of time, whoo-eee, what a profound revelation.?

3 hours ago, RpR said:

Wow, the Minors are a total waste of time, whoo-eee, what a profound revelation.?

You might want to read my last sentence again before jumping to conclusions.